Fame, Love, and Motherhood
by Ash-Castle
Summary: After a less than flattering article is printed in the Prophet, Hermione is once again forced into the limelight. Now after years of relative peace, she has to juggle reporters, a meddling mother-in-law and crazy ex's. She's on a journey to rediscover herself and her favorite twins join her for the ride. AU after the epilogue. FW/HG/GW Rated for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Hermione sighed and re-folded her Daily Prophet, making sure to set it gently down on the small kitchen table instead of throwing it across the room and hitting it with an _Incendio_ like she really wanted. She had been having such a great dream that morning and had even allowed herself to sleep in. A small comfort she indulged in now that the kids were at school. Even waking up to the delivery owl pecking at her window hadn't seemed so bad. Now though… she sighed again, _I wish this were a dream. _She looked down at the front page picture again then flipped the paper over, not wanting to look at it anymore. _Even if it is a nightmare. _Feeling defeated and disappointed she let her head fall into her hands. She thought about the hell that was going to break loose, all thanks to this article.

"Damn her." She whispered into her coffee cup, her reflection mouthing the words along with her. After she woke up to an empty bed and her name on the front page, she knew her usual cup of tea wasn't going to cut it. She wasn't even that mad at him, just frustrated that he couldn't wait one more month. Thirty more days! Was it too much to ask that he keep it in his pants for that much longer? Hermione didn't think so. She was managing after all. They had been so close, and he blew it on one night of frivolity. She rolled her eyes at her rippling reflection. It was ridiculous, if they hadn't been war heroes, their actions wouldn't even be worth mentioning. Thanks to Harry and his sense of honor however, they were both mentioned in multiple books and even had their own biographies. Harry had wanted to make sure the wizarding world knew exactly how much his friends had helped him. At the time, Hermione had thought his sentiment sweet, if slightly annoying. In moments like this though, it was just annoying.

Hermione was still mouthing obscenities to her poor coffee, when she heard the **crack!** of apparition in the living room. Her head snapped up and she forced her chair away from the table. The action caused a small amount of coffee to spill on the Prophet, blurring a picture of two wizards flying, sending the small figures into a panic as they flew out of the frame. She felt a twinge of guilt at causing the tiny Quidditch players distress, but she had bigger dragons to fry at the moment. He was home.

Hermione marched across the hall and into the living room, more than ready to give her wandering husband and best friend a piece of her mind, when he staggered into the doorway and leaned against the frame. Seeing him, she immediately let go of the anger his thoughtless actions had caused. She hadn't seen him look so beat up in years. Not since his early Auror days.

"Hermione, I…I'm so, so sorry." Her husband said, before falling to the floor.

"Oh Ron." She hurriedly took the last few steps to him. He looked like he had single handedly taken on an angry mob and lost. "Come on, let's get you to the kitchen and clean you up." His favorite blue shirt –one she had picked out- appeared to have been ripped off his long frame and hastily put back on again. It was barely held together by a couple buttons and the collar she had pressed the previous morning was hanging on by a few threads. His jeans had dirty and scraped up knees and he was sporting a black eye. "What happened? Who attacked you?" Right then, another owl tapped on the window. One she had seen so many times. Leaving Ron to remove his shirt, she opened the window. After she took the letter, the owl took off again. She had recognized Harry's owl before she even looked down at her name written in his untidy scrawl. Unrolling the parchment she read:

_Mione,_

_I swear I didn't know. I'm going to talk to him._

_Love Harry_

She turned back to Ron, "Did he talk to you yet?" She grabbed her wand from the table and advanced on him, summoning a bruise cream Fred and George kept her well stocked with. Between Ron and Rose, she was constantly running out. After this, she was going to need another jar.

Ron gestured to his eye and scoffed. "If you call this talking, then yes, Harry talked to me." He sat patiently while she applied the cream. In just a few minutes the swelling went down and she could see his bright blue eye through the purple and red. As the remaining bruise faded she poured him a cup of coffee, adding a little cream before giving it to him.

Sitting back in her chair Hermione asked, "Did Harry do this to your clothes too?" While she waited for him to swallow his mouthful of coffee, she summoned him a new shirt.

"Thanks 'Mione." He rasped, eyes watering slightly from the too hot coffee. His response was muffled by the shirt he was pulling over his head. "No, those would be your adoring fans who caught me trying to leave." Not knowing what else to say, they sat in silence for some time. Hermione took occasional sips of her coffee and avoided looking at the coffee stained paper in front of her. Every once in a while she would look at her now ex-husband. He was staring at a spot on the wall, robotically lifting his arm every so often to sip at his cooling coffee. His eyes were glazed over, a look she knew too well. He was thinking hard about something. She let him be, he would tell her what was on his mind when he was ready.

The dregs in the bottom of her cup were cold before Ron broke the silence that had enveloped them. "I really am sorry you know. I don't know what I was thinking." His brow was creased in confusion. The little lines there that she had so adored when they first made their appearance shortly after Rose's second birthday seemed deeper than usual. When Hermione didn't answer but continued to stare he went on, "Are you mad at me?" His eyes briefly darted away from whatever had fascinated him on the wall to look at her own. He held her gaze for a breath before jerking his eyes back to the wall. He didn't pester or ask anything else, just sat in silence, waiting for her answer.

She sighed once more. Something she seemed to be doing a lot of this morning, "No, not really. Just…" She hesitated. This article had messed up all their carefully made plans. "We have to tell everyone. As soon as possible, before they start to draw the wrong conclusions from _Skeeter's_ article." She spat Rita's name out as if it were rotten. "We were always going too, but now…" she trailed off. "We have to owl the kids you know. I'm sure one of the older students has mentioned it by now."

Ron paled at the thought of writing their children. "They're going to hate me." It was Ron's turn to groan and put his head in his hands. She felt a pang of sympathy for him. Their children were smart and would certainly work out what had happened between their parents. In light of what happened, Hermione wondered if keeping their dissolving bond a secret from everyone had been the best idea.

"No, they won't. I'm sure they aren't happy with us right now, but they won't hate you." She rubbed soothing circles on his back before speaking again. "Why last night? We both agreed to wait to see other people until the bond had completely dissolved and we had told everyone."

Ron peeked at her from between his hands. "Honestly, I don't know. I had just planned to go to the Leaky with a few guys from work. Harry didn't come, he wanted to get home to Ginny." He added, answering her question before she could ask. He smiled for the first time that morning as he thought about Harry and Ginny. "Mentioned how nice it is to have the house to themselves." The crease between his brows re-appeared as he mentally went over the night before. Hermione knew he would be looking at it from every angle, trying to see what had gone wrong.

"I was a couple pints in and was just making my excuses to leave, when Lavender sat on the empty stool next to me. She asked me how you and the kids were, I asked what she was doing now. Did you know she writes a fashion piece for Witch Weekly?" Ron asked her, genuine curiosity on his face. When he was met with her scowl, he continued. "Right, well she bought me a drink, then I thought it only fair that I buy her one in return. Before long we were sloshed. I told her I needed to leave, she agreed that she needed to go as well. I helped her down from the stool and we…er… may have really _leaned _into each other on our way out the door." The lines furrowed deeper and she could almost see his struggle to recall the previous night. "We had just made it out to the alley, when I mentioned that I probably shouldn't apparate. Didn't want to splinch myself. Lavender offered me her floo, said her flat was a short walk away. I didn't think anyone had seen us leaving or walking to her place. We had just gotten in her flat and she was showing me to the floo when she tripped and fell into me as I caught her." Hermione snorted and Ron gave her a wry smile. If Lavender Brown had really 'tripped' and just happened to fall into Ron's arms, she would eat her acromantula silk robe. "Next thing I knew she was all over me. When she kissed me, I didn't even think, just kissed her back. I guess, I was feeling lonely." It was a testament to their strong bonds of friendship that Ron felt he could tell her he had kissed Lavender back and not be afraid she would hex him. Those bonds however, did nothing to stop her anger at his selfish thoughts.

"You don't think I'm lonely too Ron?" She vented, completely exasperated with him. Nineteen years and his first thoughts were still only of himself. She had become resigned to his behavior and even more recently realized she would not be the witch to change his thought pattern. "It's been just as long for me as it has for you! I want to feel loved just as much as you, but you don't see my picture plastered on the front page of the Prophet!" She picked it up and threw it at him. He caught it with one hand, trapping it against his chest before it slid into his lap. "However, it is my _name _smeared all over that article!" She stopped as he pulled the paper away and looked at the article in question, confused by her comments. "Haven't you read it yet?"

"There hasn't been time." He shrugged. "I didn't even know someone had seen me with her until I left." He looked at her sheepishly, "I left right after. I didn't want to hang around." Hermione took this as Ron speak for: He felt guilty after sleeping with her and tried to sneak out. "When I walked out the front door of the building of her flat, a photographer was waiting for me. It was late, sometime after midnight. Once he had taken the photo he scampered off and I thought I better make myself scarce. I still didn't feel like I could apparate, I decided to ask Tom if I could just use his floo. When I got there he was just closing up and had already disconnected his fireplace. Instead of arguing with him, I paid for a room and some hangover cure then went to bed."

Ron lapsed back into silence. Hermione gave him some time to continue, but when it looked like he wasn't going to pick up his tale again, she prompted him. "Are you going to tell me what happened to you this morning? I'm assuming you didn't wake up in this state."

"Ah no. I tried to leave early. To come tell you what happened." He insisted earnestly. Hermione kept her thoughts to herself, wanting to get the full story. "I don't know if they knew I was there, or if it was just those who had stopped by early for shopping, but once I walked down the stairs, I was surrounded by people. They all were yelling at me, I couldn't tell what exactly they were saying, but I could tell it wasn't nice. I pushed my way out of there, trying to get to the apparition point. Before I could make it there, Harry found me. Didn't even say anything, just punched me. I apparated right after and came home."

Hermione shook her head. Even after all this time, they still had 'fans'. Harry had it the worst, he still had women and girls that followed everything he did. Hermione was surprised to find she still had a few that cared about what happened to her. Not quite sure what to say, she stood and pulled some parchment and quills out of the little drawer next to the oven. She found it easier to stash writing supplies throughout the house, rather than having to look everywhere for it. Once she had what she wanted, Hermione settled back down to write a few letters. Seeing Ron still staring at his guilty picture she told him, "Well, you better read it now then." As he started to read she penned a quick message to Ginny and Harry asking them to come over later. Once that was done she started a letter to her son and daughter. Ron watched for a minute before looking at the paper in his hands.

_TROUBLE IN PARADISE_

_Ronald Bilius Weasley –longtime friend of Harry Potter and husband to Hermione Granger- was seen fleeing the scene of infidelity late last night. As we all know Ronald and Hermione have been happily married for almost 18 years now and are the parents of Hogwarts students Rose and Hugo Weasley. With such a beautiful family and wonderful home life, whatever could have made this poor man stray into the lovely arms of fashion columnist Lavender Brown?_

_This reporter took her curious quill and tough questions to the source, intent on getting the full story. While Mr. Weasley was unavailable for questioning, I was able to speak to the alluring Ms. Brown about the affair. _

_When asked about Mr. Wesley, the captivating young women opened up to me all about her relationship with the war hero. "Oh Ron and I go way back!" She told me, all smiles as she offered me tea. "We used to be a thing back in school. He couldn't keep his hands off me!" I had to giggle as she blushed, but as nice as the chit chat was, I was really here to ask one question, Why?_

"_Well, I know Ron and that… Hermione, seem like a happy couple, but it's completely false." She explained with confidence. _

"_How could you possibly know such a thing?" I asked, shocked –as I'm sure many of you are- to hear that two-thirds of the Golden Trio had been deceiving us in such a way. _

_She leaned towards me, the secrets she held ready to spill onto my ever-ready parchment. "He told me so last night. She hasn't touched him in almost a year!" _

"_No!" I was scandalized dear readers! To find out that our own Ron was being treated this way by a wife who claimed to love him. Curious as to what could possibly lead to the former lover's estrangement, I took to the streets. One commenter, who wished to remain anonymous, had this to say. _

"_I bet she was drugging him. I wouldn't put it past her to whip up a love potion to keep him in line. It's probably starting to affect him less now. I wouldn't be surprised if he came to his senses and ran off to try and find comfort somewhere other than with his frigid wife." _

_You all may remember that the former Mrs. Weasley was accused of using love potions in her fourth year at Hogwarts to win not only the heart of Viktor Krum, but our very own Golden Boy Harry Potter as well. Further investigation at the Ministry shows that when Mr. Weasley escaped from his wife's cruel clutches, their bond was indeed broken. This reporter can only hope that poor Ronald will be able to find real love with a worthy candidate in the future. One also hopes that Ms. Granger will be held accountable for her actions. I know I'm not the only one who wishes to see justice done on the newly single Mr. Weasley's behalf. _

_This faithful reporter just has one more question that will hopefully be answered in time: Where will their –surely distressed- children spend the upcoming holidays?_

_Ta-ta for now dear readers! _

_Rita Skeeter_

Ron's face had steadily gotten redder as he read the article. "That cow!" He exploded. "She's made me out to be some spineless sap who can't take care of himself!" He groaned as a new thought occurred to him. "She's basically guaranteed that women will be throwing themselves at me! How am I supposed to deal with that?"

Hermione bit her tongue. Ron was worried about women chasing him because he looked like a sad and lonely man. She, on the other hand, was worried about the hate mail and curses she would be sent soon. Rita had made her out to be some frigid bitch cackling over a cauldron. It wasn't the worst thing she had ever had said about her, but it had been so long that the feeling of being insulted was fresh. Instead of saying what she was thinking she off-handedly commented, "You would think after 22 years she wouldn't hold a grudge anymore."

Ron gave her a small smile at her attempt to lighten the mood. "You did trap her in a jar for weeks and blackmail her into writing for the Quibbler without pay. Not to mention kept her from writing for anyone else for almost a whole year."

Hermione smiled her first real smile that morning. "It was only two weeks, and she wasn't out of work for _that _long. She might have been a little rough around the edges, but she was doing just fine on her own." She pushed some parchment and a quill to him. "We can't put it off any longer. You'd better write to Rose and Hugo. I finished my letter to them while you were reading. I also asked Harry and Ginny to over later tonight so we can explain everything. I'll start writing a letter to your mum." Hermione grimaced at the thought of telling Mrs. Weasley the truth. Her Mother-in-Law didn't take kindly to secrets. She glanced over at Ron to see that he still hadn't started. He just stared at the blank parchment. He hadn't even picked up his quill yet. Hermione nudged him with her elbow, reminding him that they were supposed to be composing letters. He picked up his quill, then slowly started to write.

-0-0-0-

Over at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Fred and George Weasley had just finished reading the distasteful article for themselves.

"Did we know anything about this dear brother?" Fred asked George with wide eyes.

"I dare say we didn't." George's expression mirrored that of his twin's. Neither man quite knew what to do with the shocking information they had just received. "Do you think it's true?" George finally asked his brother.

"Her being a frigid wife that spends her time poisoning her husband with love potions?" Fred's voice had an innocent tone to it that made George scoff.

"Ex-husband. IF this is true and the bond is broken, Ron would be her _ex_-husband. I meant, do you really think their marriage bond is broken?"

Fred thought about what they had read and compared it to what he knew about his brother and Hermione. "I think there is more to the story."

George felt a grin spread across his face, "If it is true though…"

Fred had an answering grin for his brother. "The possibilities are endless."

**A/N**

**That doubled quickly… If it's your first time reading this, please see the note on Chap. 18. If you've already read this once, and are re-reading, please leave a review to let me know what you think. Did you enjoy the revision to the chapter? **

**I would love to hear back from you! Please, don't feel obligated though. **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Not sure if I said this or not, but this story takes place after the epilogue. Also, I do not own the characters. **

"Are you sure I should be here when you tell them? Maybe I should just kip over to my new flat." Ron was shifting nervously. He kept putting his weight on one foot, then the other and back again. Every so often he would switch it up by lifting up onto his toes. He couldn't keep still and it was driving Hermione crazy. In turn, Hermione couldn't seem to make herself move. She was frozen in place, anxiously waiting for Harry and Ginny to step through the fireplace.

"For an Auror, you sure are chicken to face your friend and sister." She tried to tease, lips only parting enough to let the words slip through. Her attempt at lightening the mood fell flat. Neither one of them was looking forward to the coming confrontation. While Hermione was worried about how Harry would take the news, she knew he would forgive her anything. Just as she would him. In each other they had found the sibling they were missing. No, she was terrified of facing her sister-in-law. She was mostly concerned about how Ginny would take the news of their broken marriage bond. She had been so happy for them to finally be 'real' sisters. Even if they had referred to each other as sisters long before the wedding. Hermione knew that both of them, as their respective best friends and siblings, would be more than a little upset at being left out of the secret. Having them find out from the Prophet was bound to make things worse.

"It's different when Harry is fighting on your side. You've seen him in action, he can be right scary. I want to walk out of here with the same amount of limbs I walked in with. Ginny's no delicate flower either." He shuddered. Hermione vividly remembered what happened to Ron the last time he pissed Ginny off. "Yeah, on second thought, I think I will leave. You can do this right?" The note of pleading in his voice set her on edge. She took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out. It wasn't _entirely_ Ron's fault they were in this situation, it was only _mostly_ his fault. She looked at the man she had been in love with for so long- -the man she would always love with a part of her heart- and rolled her eyes.

No longer frozen she began to explain, again, why he needed to stay. "Grow up Ron. You need to be here just as much as I do. We need to present a united front. If you aren't here when they arrive, they'll think the worst and come after you. We're all adults here. I'm sure we can get them to see reason before they attack and if we can't, I'll be here to protect you." She gave a little smirk. Hermione hoped she could make them see reason, but experience had taught her to expect otherwise. She knew Harry too well, he was action first, questions later. The attack on Ron early in the morning _should_ have calmed him enough to let her explain before he did something he would regret. Like hexing Ron into next year.

She decided to change the subject. "Has anyone figured out where your flat is?" They had purchased the flat over a month ago in preparation for this day. Ron had been slowly moving his stuff out, trying not to take anything one of their children would notice missing; Hugo was especially observant. Not long after they decided to let their bond dissolve, they began to work out the details of their separation -who would get what, stay where, separating accounts- and it was hard. They had been emotionally spent during the process, but in light of what happened, she was glad they had recently finished getting their affairs in order.

"Not yet. Your wards are holding, and I've been apparating directly in like you told me." _Thank Merlin _Hermione thought. She had warded his apartment just as strongly as she had their house. She glanced at the clock on the mantelpiece. It was just after 6, Ginny and Harry were due to arrive any moment. Hermione looked down at her dusty t-shirt, jeans, and bare feet. After their dismal start, they had spent the rest of the day moving every last bit of Ron's things to his new residence. Ron's clothing wasn't much better than hers but they had moved the last boxes moments before Hermione had asked their friends to show up.

Feeling another **ping!** at her wards, she looked up and scowled. It had been going off almost all day. It was no secret that Hermione and Ron lived on the outskirts of London, and now everyone and their mother seemed to be taking advantage of that information. Not long after Ron made it home, reporters and photographers began showing up. Knowing they couldn't actually get inside the house, Hermione drew the curtains and proceeded to ignore them. At least, she tried to ignore them, but they were a persistent lot. None of them had tried to enter the house through the doors or windows, but many tried to apparate and floo in, all hoping for the inside scoop. When it became apparent that neither resident would give in to an interview, they started resorting to other means. _Sonorus _charms were used, at first to ask questions, then to yell insults. Still, Hermione and Ron steadfastly ignored them all. It wasn't until one brave (or impossibly foolish) reporter threw charmed stones at the house that Hermione lost her temper. Ron had tried to reign her in, but even he knew when to stop fighting her. One nifty tempest jinx later, and she had pushed all who had gathered outside their front door back. Giving her time to not only reinforce the wards, but stretch them to include the grounds around the house as well.

Hermione directed her scowl down to her bare feet again. _The hems on these jeans are fraying again_. _I wonder if that new charm Molly taught me will work on these,_ she mused. Attempting to keep down the anxiety that was trying to build every minute Harry and Ginny were late. The fireplace they had been watching apprehensively suddenly turned green –fifteen minutes late- and her head snapped up.

"Here we go." Ron mumbled and took half a step back as Harry's dragon hide boots hit the floor. The deep scowl on his face as he unfolded from the fireplace wasn't promising. Before Harry could say anything, the fire turned green again and he turned to help his wife step out. In unison, as if they had practiced the move before coming over, they turned to glare at Ron. Hermione heard Ron gulp as he inched his way ever so slightly behind her. After seeing their faces, Hermione almost felt bad she didn't let Ron hide out in his flat for a bit. She knew it would be better if they both explained though. In an attempt to hold off their anger and to keep Ron looking like a normal human, she rushed forward to hug them both.

"Harry, Ginny! Thank you so much for coming!" She hugged Harry first. The surprise on his face at her cheerful tone almost made her laugh. Almost. Ginny was still scowling at Ron, but hugged Hermione tight to her while her piercing gaze never left the side of Ron's head. Harry came to stand on Hermione's other side and wrapped an arm around her waist, effectively trapping her between her would-be 'rescuers'. The two of them stood there, Hermione trapped between them and struggling to break free, staring at Ron, waiting for him to make eye contact. When Ron refused to look at his friend and sister and instead continued to study the wall, Ginny broke the building silence.

"You complete arse Ronald Weasley! How could you do this to Hermione!? Are you really as stupid as you look?" Ginny and Harry were still holding on to her tightly, as if they were afraid she would break if they let go. When Hermione felt Ginny's hand move to grab her wand, Hermione grabbed her arm. Wresting herself from their caging arms, Hermione kept ahold of Ginny's wand arm while reaching out to grab Harry's as well, stopping him before he could even begin a hex.

"Enough of this!" Hermione hissed. This was not at all going the way she had planned. She forced the couple's arms down and away from Ron, making sure to keep a tight hold on them.

To his credit, Ron hadn't run (although he may have flinched a little) when two wands had been trained on him. Ginny looked at her, frustration and love written all over her face. "Let go of me Hermione. You know he deserves this. Why are you defending him?" Ginny tried to reason with her.

"Let's…" Hermione quickly moved on to Plan B: Distracting everyone with tea until tempers dissipated. "Let's go to the kitchen and sit down. We will explain it all, I promise." She let go of them, but Harry refused to put his wand away. Even when she sent him a pleading look, he only shook his head and kept his wand out. It wasn't pointed at Ron, but she knew how fast Harry was and didn't fully trust that he was calm enough to control himself. Throwing her hands in the air in exasperation Hermione pointed a finger at Harry and used her 'mom' voice. "For Merlin's sake Harry put your wand away! Don't you trust me? If I was truly upset with Ron, do you think he would be standing here?" She could see her words register with Harry. He shot her a sheepish smile and put his wand away.

"Alright Mione, I trust you." He pulled her to his side in a one armed hug and kissed her curls. "Lead the way." She pulled away from him and they all followed her into the kitchen, Ron bringing up the rear. Once they were seated and the hastily made tea poured (with a little Firewhiskey for good measure) Hermione found that she didn't know where to start. Irrationally she began to worry that when they found out the whole truth, they would stop talking to her. For a moment it didn't matter that they loved her as much as they loved Ron. The worry that they would no longer be a family clogged her throat. She coughed a few times, trying to clear it. If her eyes were stinging or shinier than usual, well then it must have been from clearing her throat. Harry spoke first, not having enough patience to wait. "Since Ron is still standing here looking normal -and currently not a slug- maybe you could tell us _why_ you don't seem to be mad at him for cheating?"

It took a few more not so subtle coughs and some furious blinking before Hermione could speak. "Ah, well, you see..." She mentally braced herself, "We were already breaking the bond before last night." She said in a rush and winced. At her friend's incredulous faces, she hurried to explain. "You know the bond has two parts. The physical and the emotional. Everything was great for a while" She paused to smile at Ron "After 3 years of continued growth, it just stopped. It didn't take long for us to notice that our emotional bond was no longer gaining strength. Something necessary to keep the bond active. Instead, it seemed to be in stasis. When Ron and I finally sat down and talked about it, we decided that we were okay with this. After all, we still loved each other. We carried on the way we had been." She looked at Ron again to see if he had anything to add, but his eyes were firmly fixed on the table.

Hermione fortified herself with a deep breath, "For the next 10 years we lived with a static emotional bond. Five years ago, we realized our emotional bond was weakening. Nothing drastic, but over time it became more pronounced. Last year, it became non-existent." Seeing Ginny open her mouth to say something, Hermione held up a hand to stave her off. Ginny closed her mouth and gestured for Hermione to continue. "By that time we had Rose and Hugo to think about. The physical bond was still there, and active, because we were still sharing a bed." She blushed at sharing this part of her life with Harry. Even if logically she knew that _he_ knew they had sex. "Even though the emotional bond had vanished, we tried to make it come back by escaping into the physical side of the bond."

_Many times,_ she added to herself with a satisfied shiver. It was Harry's turn to cough uncomfortably while Ginny grinned wickedly. "Finally we couldn't do it anymore." Ginny snickered and Harry narrowed his eyes at her. "We decided to break off all physical activity until that part of the bond broke too. Our year was _almost_ up." She looked pointedly at Ron. "When Casanova had his fun last night, the bond finally snapped. I could feel it when I woke up this morning. The bond is well and truly broken." Hermione put a hand to her chest where the empty feeling still radiated out from. Her eyes stung with the tears she had yet to shed. They may not be IN love any longer, but Hermione still felt as if she were missing a piece of herself. A piece she hadn't known she relied on until it was gone. She looked up at her friends, her family, and begged them with her eyes to understand why they did this. To not hate her.

For a long while, no one said anything. Hermione watched as emotions danced across Harry's face, too fast for her to catch. Ron shifted uncomfortably in his chair making it creak loudly in the still kitchen. Hermione was still watching Harry and breathed a sigh of relief when his faced settled into familiar lines of acceptance. Seconds later, Hermione wished she had been paying closer attention to Ginny instead of Harry. In her blunt manner -that Hermione both loved and hated- Ginny practically shouted, "You mean you haven't had sex in almost a year?!"

-0-0-0-

For the second time that night, George was sprawled flat on his back, looking at his ceiling. Before he could blink, his vision was filled with his (almost) spitting image.

"Looks like the floo is well and truly blocked eh?" Fred offered his twin a hand.

"I bet Granger did it." George groaned as he grabbed the offered hand and was hauled to his feet. "What do we do now?"

"Wait it out? They have to come out of there sometime." Fred shrugged and frowned, not happy with the idea of waiting.

"I give it a week. If we haven't seen her by then, we try again. Agreed?" This time George held out his hand.

"Agreed." Fred shook his brother's hand. "This doesn't mean we have to make life easy for little Ronniekins though." A grin slowly creeped across his face.

"I bet an owl or two could find him." George suggested with a mischievous gleam in his eye. Thoughts in accord, the brothers began to plan.

**A/N**

**To the guest reviewer (and anyone else who is wondering), yes I knew the rest of the chapters disappeared. IT WAS I! MWAHAHAHA! **

**Evil laugh aside, I did it for two reasons. One: It seemed to make more sense. As I'm re-writing, I began to realize that some subtle things might change. Nothing drastic to the story line, but I didn't want inconsistencies between the originals and the re-writes. Two: It's easier to let you know when I have updated a chapter. **

**Also, for the purposes of this story, Ron and Hermione have been married 18 years. My math might be wrong (I'm truly awful at it) so if it doesn't add up (see what I did there?) please let me know. **

**Sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the first. I make no word count promises. Drop me a line and let me know what you think! **


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N**

**Not as long, but I didn't want to force the chapter. A saying about… Never mind. If you aren't reading BN I'll reiterate here: Excuse, excuse, and life are the reasons for not updating. Things have slowed down so hopefully it will be better. Anywhoo… I've joined Tumblr, mostly to keep track of my fav authors, but you can now find me there if you want. Same name: Ash-Castle**

Hermione tried not to laugh, she really did. There was nothing funny about this situation, nothing at all. She didn't even blush when Ginny brought up her lack of sex life in front of their husbands. _Er… ex-husband. That's going to take some getting used to_. She knew, thanks to her sister-in-law, more about Harry than she ever wanted to know. The shocked question considerably lightened the mood for the women. Hermione sent a mirth filled look to Ron, only to notice him avoiding anyone's eyes. One look at Harry and she knew why, he was glaring daggers at his best friend.

The look on Harry's face dampened her mood some, but Hermione couldn't completely stop her laughter. The day had already been so long and stressful, and if her laughter had a slightly hysterical tone, no one mentioned it. "Oh, Ginny! I needed that." She managed to get out between giggles. "No, we haven't had sex in almost a year." She looked at Ron, his head was down. His guilt was almost tangible. The last of the laughter faded from her voice. "Nor do I blame Ron for breaking the bond early. We originally wanted it to dissolve on its own so we would have control of who found out and when." Harry switched his dangerous glare from Ron to her. Hermione swallowed hard, not used to being on the other end of such a look "I am so _sorry_ we kept this from you." Harry was still glaring and Ginny was looking sympathetic. "We… no I, wanted to keep it a secret until we knew for sure the bond was gone."

Harry watched Ron out of the corner of his eye, but he was frowning in her direction. It was better than the glare from before, but still left her feeling like she had personally ruined all his hopes and dreams. Steeling herself, Hermione waited for him to speak first. She had said her piece, now she just had to let for him to think it through and organize his thoughts. She knew Harry just as well as Ron knew him (maybe even better these days) so, she waited.

Hermione sucked in a breath when Harry focused his emerald eyes on her. They were full of hurt and distrust. That alone crushed her more than anything else she had gone through so far. "I won't say I'm okay with you not telling us. I'm not. I understand, better than anyone, not wanting a secret to get out. You asked me to trust you, I wish you had trusted me."

Tears stung the backs of her eyes when she heard the betrayal in his voice. He had trusted her for years -far longer than she had been bound to Ron- and she hadn't even mentioned to him that things were changing in her life. Not _once_ over the years! It was a wonder he hadn't stormed away from her yet.

Ginny spoke up, voice somber, "Do the kids know? How have you been hiding Ron not sleeping in the same bed as you?"

"They didn't know, but I'm sure they do now. Stupid cow." Ron finally joined the conversation.

"We have been sleeping in the same bed. On opposite sides, not touching." Hermione explained.

"She even put a shield up between us so I can't roll over to her side on accident." Ron scoffed, as if a shield charm was unnecessary.

Hermione rolled her eyes. They had tried to sleep without the charm for the first week. Habit had won out and she had woken up every morning in his arms. Continuing with their conversation, she answered Ginny's other question. "We planned to tell the kids over break."

Ginny raised her eyebrows, but didn't comment on their choice of timing. "I'm with Harry on this." She looked at her brother with narrowed eyes. "You should have told _us_ at least. Then we wouldn't be over here thinking Ron is the world's biggest prat." She stood abruptly and pulled Hermione up by the arm. "I think we need to have a talk. Just us girls." She started pulling Hermione out of the kitchen, before looking over her shoulder at her husband. "Oh, and Harry? You should apologize to Ron for hitting him. Even if he did deserve it."

Hermione didn't even try to resist as Ginny pulled her towards her bedroom, leaving the boys to hopefully make up in their absence. When they reached the room Ginny dropped her arm and left Hermione at the door to follow after her. Hermione closed the door and put up a silencing charm. She wasn't sure it was needed, but thought it was better to be safe than sorry. She closed her eyes and counted to ten before turning to face her –hopefully still- friend. Ginny sat cross legged on the bed and patted the space beside her. Hermione eyed the distance between the bed and the door. _Maybe I could outrun her and hide away in the library?_ She snorted out loud at the thought. Hermione might look like she ran every day, but the only running she did was to her office. Ginny on the other hand still played for the Harpies. She knew who would win that race. Instead she took a fortifying breath and chided herself for the brief thought of running away. Ginny still sat there expectantly, not saying a thing as she watched Hermione crawl onto the bed and sit across from her.

Hermione wouldn't meet her eyes right away. She wasn't sure how long she sat there studying the damask pattern on her bedspread before Ginny's impatience won out, "Are you going to sit there with your head down the whole time?" When Hermione continued to channel Ron, Ginny went on, "Or maybe you could look at me like the brave _Gryffindor Princess_ you are rumored to be and tell me how you really feel about all of this." Ginny smirked knowing she would get a response.

Hermione looked up, she hated that nickname, but was smart enough to accept that it wasn't going anywhere. Not after it had been popularized long before they became 'The Golden Trio'. Ron was the only one of their trio who hadn't gotten a nickname. _Lucky git_. She wished she had gotten so lucky.

"Gin… Ginny. You know I love you. I didn't want you to be mad at me; to hate me for breaking apart our family. Ron _is_ your brother and you were so happy that we were officially family. I… I was scared of how you would react. Of losing you." She finally broke down. Harry's betrayed look and thoughts of how her children would react flashed through her mind. One tear fell and the flood gates opened. It had been such a _long_ day. She couldn't hold it anymore.

Ginny moved forward and tried not to show how awkward it was to crawl across the large bed as she went to her crying friend. When she reached engulfed Hermione in a hug, the sobbing witch clutched the front of her shirt like Ginny was her only life line. "It's okay Mione. You shouldn't have had to go through this alone. You should know I wouldn't turn from you. You've been my best mate since second year and my sister for just as long silly woman. I thought you were supposed to be the brightest witch of your age?" Hermione gave a wet chuckle at that. Ginny finally let her go. "Look, I'm still not happy you didn't tell me you and Ron were having bond problems, but I'm not mad at you personally." Hermione looked towards the door. Ginny understood what she was thinking, "Harry isn't really mad at you either. He will come around. I think he's just confused and hurt that you didn't confide in him. He and Ron may be best mates, but he has always seen you as a sister. He thinks you should tell him everything." Ginny rolled her eyes at the thought.

"Thank you. I really am sorry. I'm not sure what to do now." Hermione sighed and looked back at Ginny.

"Have you told Rose and Hugo yet?"

"Ron and I wrote them separate letters this morning." Hermine looked around the room hopelessly "It's not like we can really explain this in a letter though. I might write to McGonagall and see if we can come visit them next weekend."

"That isn't the worst idea you've had." Ginny said smiling.

"Do you think I should write to James, Albus, and Lily or let Rose and Hugo tell them?" Hermione knew the kids were close. They practically lived together both at school and during the holidays. She knew this would be hard on the all children, not just her own.

"Let Rose tell them. You know those five are thick as thieves. Rose will shout, James will jinx anyone who says anything bad about them, Lily will plan out pranks for those that won't leave her cousins alone." Lily had learned a lot about pranking from her favorite uncles and was just as clever when it came to pulling them off. "Albus and Hugo will try and keep them all from getting in trouble. They'll be fine." Hermione hugged Ginny again, trying to put all her appreciation and love into it. "Come on, let's go see if the boys have kissed and made up." Ginny bounced out of the bed. Nothing could keep the red head down for long.

When they entered the kitchen the guys stopped talking. Harry still didn't look happy, but they weren't fighting either. "Are you staying here tonight Ron, or do you need a place to stay?" Ginny asked.

"I have my own flat and I'll stay there tonight. My stuff is already moved." He gave them his new address so they could find him if they needed to. Hermione had a feeling they wouldn't be contacting him anytime soon unless it was a matter of life and death. They all moved to the living room as Harry and Ginny prepared to floo home. Ginny turned and gave Hermione one last hug before throwing a handful of green powder in the fireplace and heading home leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone. The Golden Trio. They had been through so much together already. Hermione knew this was just another bump in the road.

None of them said a thing. Harry kept looking from Ron to Hermione, waiting for one of them to say something. Ron broke from the tension first. "Um, why don't I just go back to the kitchen for a minute?" Ron offered awkwardly and hurried away leaving Hermione and Harry alone.

"Harry…" Even she heard the plea in her voice.

"Don't Hermione." Harry shook his head, but offered her a small smile. He moved to her, arms outstretched. Hermione didn't hesitate and ran to him. She let out a squeak when he grabbed her in a hug so hard her feet came off the ground. "Don't apologize again." He said into her ear, then set her down, but didn't let go. "Do I wish you would have told me? Of course. I don't want you to go through this alone." A wry smile twisted his lips. "If anyone understands keeping a secret, well…" He reiterated then laughed self-depreciatingly. "If you need anything….anything at all, you let me know okay?"

"Of course. Thank you." She choked out. Tears threatened to fall again, but she held them back. He let her go, and after one more look, floo'd home.

-0-0-0-

"Do you think he's still staying with Mione?" George asked his brother.

"Hard to say. I wouldn't think she'd want him in the same house after that." Fred responded, not looking up from the package he was carefully tying to the owl.

"True, true. Hopefully he isn't there. I don't want Mione to come after us if it gets her on accident." George shuddered at the thought.

-0-0-0-

**Ron's flat**

Ron walked into the empty feeling flat. Sure, there were boxes everywhere, but the place _felt_ empty. It was missing… something. Ron found a box labeled 'Living Room' and grabbed out a cushion. With a bit of transfiguration, it soon became a squashy chair. With a sigh, he sank into it. The silence surrounding him made him realize just what was missing. Family. He had been surrounded by family his whole life. When he was younger, he had wanted to get away, stand alone. Now… it wasn't as peaceful as Ron thought it would be.

Just as he was debating trying to find his wireless for some noise, he heard a tap on the window. Startled at the loud noise, he drew his wand. Seeing the brown postal owl hovering outside the window, he put his wand away and let it in. Ron had barely untied the package from the owl before it took off.

"Weird…" Ron mumbled to himself. Concerned about who might be sending him packages, he brought his wand back out and poked it a few times. Not detecting anything dark or harmful, he opened it. **POP! **The package exploded with enough force to make Ron step back. A cloud of powder was expelled and soon settled over everything in his vicinity. Shaking his head and blinking a few times, Ron walked back to the empty box. There on the bottom he found a marron colored note. When he picked it up, silver words spread across the surface.

A little gift from us to you Ronniekins!

We're just ITCHING to see you!

Yours,

-F&amp;G

Before he had finished reading the note, he had started scratching at his stomach. The prickling sensation quickly spread to the point where his skin was crawling. He ran to the nearest wall and rubbed against it like a bear- trying to sooth the spreading itch.

"Dammit Fred and George!"

**A/N **

**On and end note, we won't get much from Ron's POV. This little bit was just too fun to pass up. Also, I don't really know much about tumblr…. But I'm learning. So if you do find me, I'll work on posting blurbs from stories and such on there. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Weasley's Wizard Wheezes,** **Sept. 18****th****, Saturday morning. **

"I think it's time George."

"You're right Fred. We did give her time."

"More than enough time. Let's go get our witch." Fred threw the cloak around his shoulders.

"She's not ours. We're just going to check on her, like the good friends we are." George reminded his brother.

"Right, not ours. That's why I heard you moaning-" Fred was cut off when George rushed out the door. "Just friends." Fred grinned at his brother's retreating back and followed him out.

**Saturday Evening, Hermione's House, Master bedroom**

A week, one whole week, 7 days. That's how long it had been since things had felt normal. At least, what passed for normal in the wizarding world. Reporters were still buzzing around, and she had been suspended from work thanks to the same reporters. On Monday, they had followed her to the Ministry where she couldn't ban them from the public area. For some reason –Hermione strongly suspected Skeeter- they wouldn't leave her alone. They were like dogs worrying over a bone. The first time they accosted her, Harry and Ron had used their Auror titles to scatter them. Unfortunately, it didn't last. A few pesky reporters found their way into her department. After a rather loud altercation that ended when she transfigured one reporter into a dog and the other a bone, she had been asked to leave until further notice.

Her children still hadn't written back. She and Ron had gone to the castle Friday afternoon, knowing they had the afternoon off. Their kids had refused to come out of their dorms. Lily had given them a small wave as she passed the door to the classroom where they waited. Hermione had a feeling the young girl had been sent as a look out. She had left the castle disappointed, but not overly surprised. Ron had thrown an arm around her in support. Hermione knew he was just as upset as her at the lack of communication from their children.

They had opted to use the floo at The Three Broomsticks instead of apparating. Ron might not have shown it, but he was emotionally distraught after the fruitless visit. Just as she was. They were in no condition to apparate. Ron went first as she said her good-bye's to the headmistress. As Hermione began to swirl away, she heard a cry behind her. Then she felt a body join hers in the Floo system. She quickly exited at the next grate, pulling the camera man with her. A quick stun and an apology to the shocked wizarding couple whose floor she had tumbled out on, and she was gone again. After that disastrous attempt by some goon to get in her house, Hermione cut off all traffic. Now no one could get in unless she let them.

With a deep, slightly choked, sigh, Hermione snuggled deeper into her nest of blankets. This is what she was reduced to laying in her bed, house as dark as she could make it- moping. She knew she was moping. Hermione also knew it wasn't productive, yet she couldn't seem to break out of the funk. She had been holding it together most of the week, but after yesterday….she closed her eyes and tried to will herself to sleep. Hermione hadn't felt this alone since she was 11. Only this time she knew that not everyone hated her. Well, most people didn't hate her. She had gotten more owls in the first few days after the article than she could remember getting. She had stopped opening them after finding one that contained a curse. One of Ron's fans apparently. Eyes still closed, Hermione began reciting runes as she finally drifted off.

-0-0-0-

Hermione thought it was interesting how you could be so used to sleeping next to someone and not even realize it until they were gone. It wasn't that she missed Ron exactly –although a small part of her still wanted him- she missed having a warm body lying next to hers. Her body was conditioned to it after so many years. That was why when she woke up feeling better than she had all week, she didn't understand why at first. Instead she kept her eyes closed and stretched her whole body, arching so her back came off the bed. With eyes still closed, she rolled onto her side, arm reaching for the body pillow she had been cuddling with. Instead of the plush softness she associated with her pillow, she felt something hard and warm.

Her eyes snapped open, at the same time she reached for the wand she still kept under her pillow when she slept. Brown eyes met blue. "Morning Mione."

"AHHH!" Hermione yelled as she pushed away from whoever was in front of her and pulled out her wand at the same time. _Petrificus Totalus!_ She thought, binding the person in front of her. Hermione backed right into another body and their arms immediately went around her. She fought like a wild cat, kicking and thrashing about, trying to escape. Her wand was still in her hand and without thinking, she cast a stinging hex on her captor's hands and forced him to let her go.

"Whoa Hermione! Calm down! It's just us!" She spun around on her knees, wand still drawn. George was sitting on the edge of her bed, swollen hands held up in a gesture of good will.

"George!" She turned to the frozen body that had fallen to the floor. "Fred? What are you two doing here? How did you get in?" With another wave of her wand she released Fred from her curse. Hermione felt a little bad for her reaction to the intruders in her room, but only a little.

"Sorry about the jinxes, I don't do well with surprises." She offered the small apology and held a hand out to Fred as he push up off the floor. Both men eyed her wand, still in hand. Seeing their looks, she moved it down to her side. "Maybe we should move to the kitchen?"

"That seems like a good idea." Fred said. George still held his hands out in front of him as if he were waiting for her to strike again. Fred grabbed his arm. "Come on Gred. Let's go get some ice for your hands."

"I'll be out in a minute, I just want to put on some normal clothes." Hermione called after them. She really _did_ feel bad for hurting George and binding Fred. Really though, they should have known better than to scare her like that. She watched them walk down the hall before softly closing the door. Hermione padded on bare feet to her closet and studied the clothes inside. Most of the week she had been wearing sweats and big jumpers, most of them belonging to Ron or Harry at some point. With the twins invading her house, Hermione thought it might be time to put on jeans. As she reached into the closet, she passed by a mirror. One look at herself in the full length mirror on her closet door had her changing direction to the en-suite bathroom. Fred and George could wait a few more minutes. She looked like the long lost cousin of Medusa, and nothing but a shower would tame her wild curls. Brushing her teeth wouldn't be a bad idea either.

After a good half hour, Hermione was finally ready to face them. She wasn't worried about them leaving -they had broken into her house after all- obviously they wanted to talk to her about something. When Hermione turned to walk in the kitchen, she stopped in the doorway. Fred and George had made themselves right at home. A pot of coffee had been brewed and they were reading some of the mail she had let piled up on the table. Hermione took a moment to just look at them. They constantly amazed her. She knew no one could get passed her wards, yet here they were. She was pretty sure they could do anything they wanted, as long as they did it together.

"Are you just going to stare Granger," Fred asked without looking up.

"Or come in and tell us why no one has seen you in a week?" George finished and looked up the meet her gaze.

Hermione blushed and moved into the kitchen. She wasn't sure why she blushed. It wasn't like she was being anymore rude than they had been by barging into her house and laying in her bed. "How long were you in my bed?" She asked as she pulled out a chair so she was situated between the two of them.

"Not long enough." Fred mumbled.

"Long enough." George said louder and elbowed his brother in the side. She was happy to see the swelling had gone down in his hands. "Why are you locked away in here anyway?" He continued.

"You answer me first. How did you get in here? The wards are supposed to keep everyone out. Only the school owls or Rose's owl can come through." She crossed her arms and waited for their answer.

The twins exchanged a glance. To make a ward that was specific…. They were impressed. "Well, darling, you did indeed block against all things magical," Fred shrugged.

"But you forgot to ward against muggle means of breaking and entering." George smirked at her.

Hermione was stumped. Of all the things to forget. She had been in the magical world so long, she had forgotten to ward against something as simple as that.

"I suppose you used a window somewhere?" She turned to see if she could see a window open. "How did you get passed the reporters without being seen?" she knew her wards would detect any form of magical concealment and her door was locked against all things muggle and magical.

"Even though we are generally the center of attention, we do know how to make ourselves hidden in plain sight."

She looked at Fred, still confused.

"We used cloaks with deep hoods." George smiled at her. "We were concerned, and mum is going barmy trying to get ahold of you. I thought for sure Ginny would have forced her way in by now, but looks like we beat her to it."

"Quit avoiding the question Mione. What are you doing in here hiding? You've practically disappeared from the wizarding world." Fred held up a hand before Hermione could interrupt. "And no, going to the castle yesterday doesn't count. If it weren't for your wards around this place, we would have thought you left." Fred said with an accusing look. As if her leaving would personally affect him.

Hermione tried not to feel guilty under the combined disappointed stares of George and Fred. She still squirmed a bit in her seat though before attempting to placate them "I've been here, in the house… thinking. I didn't mean to worry anyone." She bit her lip and avoided meeting their eyes. The lie was obvious, for some reason she found herself unable to come up with a better excuse.

"Really Hermione? Thinking? That's the best you can come up with?" Fred grinned at her when she looked up at him.

"You could have said anything, _anything_, and you went with thinking? We have so much to teach you." George shook his head and smiled.

Hermione felt an answering smile tug at her own lips.


	5. AN Hiatus

**I am officially putting Fame, Love, and Motherhood on Hiatus. **

**I still love the story and I promise to come back, but my muse and I disagree on where the story should go. **


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